It was another typical day for others but not in Chandler's household.
After the incident last night, I argued with Kei, his father, and Mr. George. Right after I woke up I told them that we need to talk so, we gathered inside Father's office.
"Amelia, we're sorry," the three of them said in unison.
"It's fine. I know you hide it from me because all of you were just worried. I get it. But tell me who's this little boy that was waiting outside our mansion?"
The three of them were confused and looked at each other.
"A little boy? What do you mean, Amelia?" Kei asked.
"A boy with blond hair, about this height. I cannot depict his face because it was blurry but it was clear that he called me Cassandra which means that he knew me, but I don't seem to remember or know him."
"When did you see this little boy, sweetheart?" father asked.
"Last night? I passed out because I felt a sudden painful ear ringing and when I woke up I thought it was already morning but it is not. First, it was mom talking to me about the necklace in the greenhouse. Then, it was that horrid situation by my father. And last, it was that little boy as I said earlier."
Mr. George opened his tablet and looked for something. He handed me his tablet and showed me a picture of me ten years ago.
"Is it this little boy, lady Amelia?" Mr. George asked.
"I am not sure… but the hair and height were right. Who is he?"
Mr. George looked down, father turned away, and Kei took a sigh. Father's office went in silence for a while.
"So? Argh! Please... no more silent treatment, okay?"
"That's Alexander Ross," Mr. George answered.
"Wait, what? H-How? Why I can't remember anything about him?"
"Ten years ago, after you witnessed your father's wrongdoings, it seems that you've altered your memories," father answered.
"I altered my memories? Why?"
"We also don't know, sweetheart. But that was what your doctor told us right after you woke up. It seems that you've blocked some memories that you do not want to remember from a traumatic event you've experienced," father added.
"So, are you telling me that Alexander Ross, who's our classmate today was that little boy? And I cannot remember him at all?"
"Yes, but as far as I remember, you and Alexander Ross were childhood best friends. You've known each other since you were five," Kei said.
Best friends? But why do I not feel that way? It feels that he was more than a friend.
"So? Enough with this matter. Kei, hurry, we cannot be late for school."
"Okay!" Kei exited his father's office first and when I am about to follow him, I looked at Mr. George and said, "Mr. George, I still want you to do a background check on Alexander, okay?"
"If you wish, my lady." Mr. George and Kei's father were left in his office and I went to my room to prepare for school.
After our breakfast, Kei and I went to school.
"Yo! Did you know what day is today?" Jake happily asked.
"What?" Kei asked.
"It's the day where we are going to switch our seat partners!" Jake answered.
"You know Kei, Jake looks forward to this day every quarter because he still hopes to be Amelia's seat partner," Michael explained.
"So, is there a time that Jake got that chance?" Kei asked.
"Not even once since Amelia transferred to this school," Roxanne and Tiffany said in unison.
Ms. Hawkins entered the classroom and everyone was prepared to pack their things and fall in line at the back of the classroom. Ms. Hawkins also prepared the seat numbers written on a piece of paper ready to be picked randomly by us in a small container.
Each student patiently waited for their turn to pick their numbers and quietly seat in their new assigned seats and seat partners.
When my time came, I picked number eight. The seat was empty and I am the first one to choose it. I wonder who will be my seat partner for the next quarter.
I sit on my new designated desk while waiting for my seat partner. Kei was partnered with Jake. Tifanny was partnered with Roxanne. The rest of the students were also partnered and settled in except for Michael and Alexander.
I hope it will be Alexander. I am really curious about who he is. I need to keep him close to me.
Both of them consecutively pick a paper and opened it then exchanged looks at each other while the whole class was curious about who will be partnered with me and who will sit alone in the last row of the first column.
Both of them are walking in a line form with Michael in the lead. But then, Michael passed by me and I followed him a look until he sat on his new desk.
"It was nice to be your seat partner, Amelia Chandler." Alexander smiled at me as he arranges his things under his desk.
"Same here as well," I said to him.
"Well then, that concludes the seating arrangement for this quarter. I hope that you get along with your new seat partner. That's all, you may wait for your teacher." Ms. Hawkins fastly exited the room after she confirmed our new seating arrangements.
Without any further a due, the next teacher came a couple of seconds after Ms. Hawkins left. The teacher began his lesson naturally.
Two subjects were done and it is almost lunch break but due to the early dismissal of the second subject, I fall asleep.
When I opened my eyes, the silence was all over the room. There was also no one except for the guy who seems to watch me while I am asleep.
I yawned. "Why are you just staring at me. It is lunchtime. You must be in the cafeteria eating not here."
"I know, I already bought some earlier. And I also bought some for you, here." Alexander handed me over some strawberry-flavored cream bun and strawberry-flavored milk.
"Thanks, Alex."
"You're welcome. By the way, Amelia, I wonder why your friends even your brother did not wake you up even though it is lunchtime."
"Because... I hate it when someone wakes me up while I'm asleep. They can if there is a teacher but if none, I prefer sleeping rather than eating."
Alexander just looked at me without saying any word. "What?" I asked.
"You silly! Even though that's the case, you still need to eat, okay?" he said in his firm deep voice while patting my head gently.
This time, I was the one who looked at him without saying a word. But for real I wanted to ask him a lot of questions.
"Your eyes are telling me that you are curious about something. What is it?" Alexander asked.
I swallow the last piece of cream bun and drink every last drop of the milk. Then, throw the trash into the trash bin. Get back to my desk and confront Alexander.
"Fine, then!" Alexander was startled when I slammed the desk and looked at him seriously.
"Tell me more about yourself."
"Myself? Perhaps... are you... curious about who I was, Amelia Chandler?" he answered me with a mocking tone.
Bloody hell, of course! I am so curious about you, Alexander Ross.
"Uh-huh... I-I was."
"I told you when I was nine years old I lost my family. I was playing with my friend and our house suddenly caught on fire. And I was now staying with my stepfather that adopted me when I was sent into the orphanage."
"You have a sister, right? Can you tell me more about her?"
"Why are you suddenly curious about her?"
"Well... you know, about what happened to us at the Floravia last night. It seems that you are so fond of her, so I was really curious. But if you do not want to talk about it, it is also okay."
"I call her princess every time. She loves it whenever I played with her. Most of the time, she loves to play tea parties with her teddy bears. She loves it whenever I comb her hair. I just love everything about her. Her twinkling eyes, her sweet smile, and the way she hugs me every time that she's scared..."
Wow! This is the first time I saw Alex talk like this. His voice is so soothing, it's like those bedtime stories that are so relaxing. His eyes also tell that he misses his sister a lot.
"...sometimes I wish that I can go back to those days. I want to see her smile and hug her again." A sudden tear falls on the desk.
"Oh! I am sorry, it made me so emotional." Alex hurriedly wiped his tears and the desk as well.
I patted his back gently but I was shocked by his action. He hugged me in an instant without any hesitation. Unlike what happened in Floravia last night. I did not feel uncomfortable with his hug but a sad feeling. Without knowing I also started to cry, and I hugged Alexander tighter than before.
While we both hugged each other, again, I heard a sudden painful ear-ringing.
"Argh!"
"W-What's wrong, Amelia? Amelia! Amelia..." Alexander's voice was gradually decreasing. I cannot hear him properly and a sudden blurry vision flashed in my mind while tolerating the painful ear-ringing.
"Here's your tea Mr. Poppy."
It's our garden! A tea party and teddy bears?
"Hi, there! Can I join your tea party?" a boy suddenly approached me and asked.
Wait, who is he? Why I can't see his face? A blond hair? Is it the young Alexander?
"What tea do you want?"
"Hmmm... I want the tea which Mr. Poppy has." The boy laugh and so do I.
Another boy came and joined us at the tea party. It was Caleb.
The ear-ringing keeps on ringing but now it is more painful than earlier and last night
"Cassandra, why?" the blurry-faced boy said.
"H-Huh?" I asked in confusion.
"Why? Why? Why? Why? Why!" he keeps on saying the same thing over and over again while he holds my shoulders and shakes me.